Outlet-plate



w. H. PIERSON:

OUTLET PLATE.

APPLICATION mm. jun 19, 19.19.

1,382,741 Patented June 28, 1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. PIERSON, OF PHILADELPHIA PENNSYLVANIA.

OUTLET-PLATE.

Application filed luly 19,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVTLLIAM H. PinnsoN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania. have invented new and useful Improvements in Outlet-Plates, of which the following is a specification.

The objects of this invention are to provide an butlet plate of improved construction for holding the ends of the flexible looms of electric wires where they project from the wall of a building and supporting the electric light fixture; to enable the plate to be firmly secured to the wall before the hole for the said looms is cut through the wall, and thus obtain a more strong and secure attachment of the plate to the wall; to provide an outlet plate which is particularly adapted for old house work, although also suitable for other kinds of work; to provide the plate with an aperture large enough to permit of cutting a hole in the wall through said aperture; to provide at the marginof said aperture seats for securely holding the looms, and to employ a clamping member which shall not only clamp the looms but also close the aperture in the plate; to secure a simple construction which can be cheaply and easily made, and to obtain other advantages and results as may be brought out in the following description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals of reference indicate the same parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a face view of an outlet plate embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an edge view thereof. showing the plate mounted upon a wall, and

Figs. 3 and 4 are perspective views of the hiclrey and base plate respectively.

' In the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated in said drawing. the reference numeral 1 indicates the base of my improved outlet plate. said base being shown as flat and made of sheet metal, although it is to be understood that the usual peripheral flange may be provided thereon, if desired, as for new house work. This base has appropriate holes 2 by which it may be secured to the wall, as by screws 3, and other holes 4, preferably*threaded, by which a hickey 5 ma be attached thereto, as by screws 6.

n enlarged opening 7 is provided through the base for passage of the looms 8 therethrough. this opening being large enough to admit entry and operation of a Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 28, 1921.

1919. Serial No. 312,037.

tool, such as a saw, therethrough for making a hole in the wall. The plate may, by virtue of such enlarged opening, be s crewed upon the wall and the wall cut thereafter, thus adapting the device for wiring of old houses. It is to-be particularly noted, also, in this connection, that most of the holes 2 for screws 3, by which the plate is attached to the wall, are at a distance from the opening 7 for the looms, thus affording good footing for the screws in the wall. The opening 7 is formed, preferably at its outer end, with a plurality of seats 7 for the looms 8. In the present instance 'four, of these seats are shown arranged adjacent each other.

In order to close the enlarged opening 7 when the device is in use, the hiokey is constructed with 'a web 9 which rests flatwise upon said base and extends across all of the opening which is not occupied by the looms 8. The hickey isprovided with a central hub-like portion 11 for receiving an electric fixture (not shown) and the web 9 is formed with a plurality of extensions or feet 12 radially arranged equidistant from the center of the central portion 11.

Attachment of the hickey to the base by screws 6 is preferably accomplished by use of circumferentially arranged slots13 formed in the feet 12, all of which slots open in the same direction. These slots are so arranged that by merely loosening the screws 6, the hickey may be applied or removed by a twisting motion, it being understood that the screws are tightened to securely 1hold the hickey after it is applied to the ass.

The hickey 5 is also designed to clamp the looms 8 to the plate 1, and is so cons'tructed that either two, three or four looms may be held securely in place thereby. The web 9 is formed comparatively wide and convex at one side, as at 9, so'as to be adapted to grip two looms, as shown in Fig. 1, while another side 9 of the web is narrower and concave so as to leave space in the opening 7 for three or four looms. When four looms are used, one loom is arranged in each seat 7 and the hickey 5 is arranged so as to bring the side 9 over the openin 7. The hickey is applied the same way with threelooms, and the third loom is arranged against and between the first two.

The gripping action on the looms is increased by sloping the margin of the web toward the base 1, thus providing the slightly sharpened gripping edges 10 which will embed in the looms, and also by shaping the seats 7 ol' the opening to fit the looms, the thinness of the base causing it to embed somewhat in the looms under pressure exerted thereon by the web 9 opposite.

In the use of my improved outlet plate, especially on work in old houses, the base 1 is placed flat on the plaster wall and secured firmly thereto by screws 3 throu h the vari ous holes 2 or as many of said lioles as the screws strike a firm footing. Then, with the hickey 5 removed, the portion of the wall exposed by the opening 7 is cut through, by

means of any suitable tools such as a bit and keyhole saw. The looms arethen fished through said opening and jammed into their seats at the end of the opening 7 away from the hickey. After that, the hickey is hooked over one of its screws 6,the upper one shown in Fig. 1, and swung into place, with a twisting motion, to engageits other screws 6 and force its edge 10 against the looms, thus clamping said looms firmly in place and closing all of the opening which is not filledby said looms. The screws 6 are then t' htened and the fixture may be applied.

arious other detail modifications may be made by .those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and I do not wish to be understood as restricting myself except as required by the following claims when construed in the light of the prior art.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. An outlet plate comprising a base having an enlarged loom opening, and a hickey for clamping a loom against the edge of said opening and closing the rest of the opening.

2. An outlet plate comprising a base having an enlarged loom opening, and a hickcy adjust-able on the fare of said base for clamping a loom against the edge of said opening and closing the rest of the opening.

3. An outlet plate comprising a base having an enlarged loom opening therein, and a hickey therefor having a web adapted to clamp a loom a ainst the edge of said opening and close t ie rest of the opening.

4. An outlet plate comprising a base hav ing an enlarged opening therein for passage of a loom therethrough, and a hickey having a web with an edge for gripping a loom in said opening and being adapted to close the rest of the opening.

5. An outlet plate comprising a base having an enlarged opening therein for passage of a plurality of looms therethrough, and

. a hickey adapted to clamp varying numbers of looms in the said opening in the base plate and also adapted to close the rest of the opening.

6. An outlet plate comprising a base hav ing an enlarged opening therein for passage of a plurality of looms therethrough, and a hickey having a plurality of differently shaped sides each of which is adapted to grip a different number of looms in the said opening in the base plate and also adapted to close the rest of the opening.

7. An outlet plate comprising a base having a loom opening, a hiekey for clamping a loom against the edge of said opening, and means on said base for holding one end of said hickey while -the hickey is swung against the loom to clamp the same.

8. An outlet plate comprising a base having a loom opening, a bloke for clamping a loom. against the edge '0 said opening, means on said base for holding one end of said hickey while the hiokey is swun against the loom to clamp the same, and means for locking the hickey in clamping position.

9. An outlet plate comprising a base having a loom opening, a hickey adapted to swing against a loom in said, openingand clamp it against the edge of said opening, {ind means for mounting saidhickey on said )ase.

10. An outlet plate eomprisinga base having a loom open1ng,a hickey. having a plurality of edges to swing against a loom in said opening and clamp it against the edge of said opening, and means for mounting said hickey on said base in different positions so as to present diflerent edges to the loom.

11. An outlet plate comprising a base having an enlar ed opening therein for passage of a plura ity of looms therethrough, and a hickey adapted to clamp varying numbers of looms in the said opening in the base plate.

12. An outlet plate comprising a base having an enlar ed opening therein for passage of a plurzdity of looms therethrough, and a hickey having a plurality of differently shaped sides each of which is adapted to grip a different number of looms in the said opening in the base plate.

13. An outlet .plate comprising a base having a loom opening, and a hiokey for ositioning a loom in said opening and clos ing the base at its front.

14. An outlet plate comprising a base having a loom opening, and a hickey for positioning a loom in said opening, said hickey fitting against the base and closing the same at its front.

15. An outlet plate comprising a fiat base having a loom opening, and a hickey for positioning a loom in said opening, said hickey having a flat bottom to engage the flat base and close the same.

WILLIAM H. PIERSON. 

